The idea behind ‘PaperCat’ started to develop when we felt the need to combine between our design fields (illustration and graphic design & industrial design), and create something together. With the birth of our children, we found ourseleves missing our childhood toys; Toys that were naive and colorful mostly made of wood, paper or metal.
Especially today, in the era of the fast internet, the branding and commercial plastic toys- We aspire to create products that bring back patience, working with hands, concentrating and deferred gratification. To create beautiful esthetic products that also challenge kids to think, as well as to use their motor skills and logic intelligence.
The material mostly used in PaperCat products is paper, since it is a very diverse material: it is accessible and known, it can be illustrated and printed on, it can bend and be folded, and by folding it- it can change from 2-dimentional to 3-dimenational product. And of course, it can be recycled which makes it ecologic.
PaperCat’s vision is to create designed and illustrated products, all made from paper or cardboard, that combine quality, sophistication and esthetics. Products that have a nostalgic “feel” but with a twist, and encourage you to create and to think.
Working process
We are a team working together.
We start with listing our memories and fantasies about toys and products, pick and choose ideas and start sketching them and building models. We always try to choose themes that people can identify with, and still would make unique and surprising products. We also try think of ideas that can put a smile on everyone’s face.
Hadar is in charge of the visual appearance (illustrations, graphics and colors) and Eitan is in charge of the shape planning and final configuration. All final decisions are done together. After we have a prototype model, we research with friends family, and other people by asking questions regarding the product. By researching, we get a lot of important information, and in many cases we make changes according to it.
In parallel we meet with industry people, and get professional evaluation on the product manufacturing, including any limitations of the material and production. Then we decide together about pricing, marketing, etc.